Director/Co-writer George Seaton on the making of MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (1947)

What would you think, to put it plainly, if you ran across an old man who not only looked like Kris Kringle but confidently claimed that he was? And what would you think, more specifically, if you were an executive of Macy's store, employing the old man to lure the kiddies before Christmas, and caught him sending customers to Gimbel's, down the street. Would you see in this merchandising technique a "friendly policy," as Mr. Macy does, or would you figure the old fellow crazy and a menace, as does a sour psychiatrist?Well, if you were Valentine Davies and George Seaton, who wrote the story and script of "Miracle on 34th Street" for Twentieth Century-Fox, you would give free rein to the latter point of view and you would get the old man before the Supreme Court on a question of his sanity. You would, for the sake of the story and an uncommonly fascinating jest, call for a formal court decision as to whether there is actually a Santa Claus. And, furthermore, you would demand substantiation that this old fellow is the true Santa himself-and you would then go ahead and prove it by the highest authority in the land. By doing so, you would not only gladden the hearts of all New York but you would bring a young couple to matrimony and you would lift a little girl's doubts .At least, that is what Mr. Davies and Mr. Seaton have done in their bright yarn. And, appropriately, in this buoyant spirit, Mr. Seaton has directed it. He has got Edmund Gwenn to play Kris Kringle with such natural and warm benevo-lence that, if ever the real Santa wants to step down, Mr. Gwenn is the man for the job. Thank you for one of my favorite Holiday films of all time.

Miracle on 34th street is one of my favorite Christmas movies. I have to watch it every year. Excellent story and cast.

Thank You very much for sharing those interesting thoughts.

Brilliant advice from an excellent director.

Out of the 3X this movie was made, the 1947 movie with Natalie Wood was by far the best. The originals always are. The dialogue and actors are far superior to the later remakes IMO.

A great movie to warm the heart and start the Christmas season.

Is this the whole interview? If not, where can we hear more of it?